The Cleveland Cavaliers crushed the Detroit Pistons 125-94 in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semi-final, ending the series in dominant style. Cleveland, the fourth seed, advanced to a first conference finals appearance since 2018 and will face the third-seeded New York Knicks on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.
The decisive game never resembled a tense decider, with the Cavaliers controlling the tempo from the opening minutes. Detroit, the top seed, had pushed the series the distance after forcing Game 7 with a 21-point win in Cleveland on Friday but could not repeat that display on the road.
The Cavaliers were already thinking ahead by the closing stages, with the home crowd celebrating early as the lead kept growing. Cleveland held a 20-point
cushion late in the second quarter and stretched the margin to 35 in the opening minutes of the fourth, prompting many Pistons supporters to leave early.
ECF BOUND.@Redfin | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/ionghPy5hACleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 18, 2026
Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 26 points and also produced eight assists and seven rebounds, reaching the conference finals for the first time in Mitchell’s nine-year NBA career. Cleveland displayed balanced offence as well, with Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill each scoring 23 points and Evan Mobley contributing 21.
Allen and Merrill established the tone in the first half, combining inside and outside scoring. Both players collected 15 points before the interval, while Merrill went 5-of-7 from the field and 4-of-6 from three-point range. That early shooting accuracy helped Cleveland build a cushion that Detroit never seriously threatened.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons Game 7 exposes Pistons’ offensive struggles in Eastern Conference finals pursuit
Detroit’s offence stalled badly after the confident showing in Game 6. The Pistons converted only 35.3 per cent of their field-goal attempts and never found rhythm. Detroit also allowed 58 points in the paint while managing just 34, a figure that matched the Pistons’ lowest total inside all season.
Cade Cunningham, Detroit’s star guard, finished with 13 points in the elimination defeat, while Daniss Jenkins top-scored for the Pistons with 17. Detroit missed a chance to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2008, whereas Cleveland left the floor preparing for a new series against the Knicks.
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